Specialty training (Run Through ST Training)

Considering applying to paediatrics?

The application window for Round 1, 2013 Paediatrics has closed. As such it is no longer possible to submit an application. The next national round will commence in November 2013 for posts starting in August/September 2014.

Current applicants can still access the ONLINE APPLICATION

This recruitment round will include posts for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

If, after reading this guidance, you have any further queries please contact the recruitment and careers team. For regular updates on the process you can also follow us on Twitter with @paedjobs

Last updated: 2 April 2013.

CLEARING

RCPCH have commenced the clearing process. Applicants will recieve email updates as appropriate.If you are made an offer and fail to respond this will be treated as a withdrawal from the clearing process. All offers will be made using the UK Offers system.  Applicants will have 48 hours (including weekends and bank holidays) to respond to offers in clearing.

IMMIGRATION

With effect from 6th April 2013 Paediatric ST4 posts have been removed from the Shortage Occupation List. At this time we are working with Deanneries and applicants to ensure that, weherever possible, Certificates of Sponsorship for those that have been offered posts are issued ahead of this. Further updates will be available in due course.

1. Competition Ratios
2. Application process
3. The UK Offers system
4. 2013 Post numbers and interview dates
5. Person specifications
6. Application form
7. Guidance for Applicants
8. Foundation Competences
9. Deferred entry
10. Immigration
11. Frequently Asked Questions
12. Broad Based Training Programme
13. Academic Clinical Fellows
14. LAT appointments - Scotland only
15. Contact us

1.Competition ratios

 ST1 Competition ratios 2012 (PDF, 23KB, 1 pages)

RCPCH strongly advises that you consider competition ratios for information only. As you will see they change annually and so we would always recommend making an application based on where you genuinely wish to work
 

2.Application process

Applicants will make a single application to their first preference deanery, with the opportunity to select up to an additional three for consideration in the clearing process.

Longlisting:
Once applications close, candidates are progressed to the longlisting stage to assess their eligibility against a range criteria outlined in the person specification. These include right to work in the UK, previous specialty experience and GMC/Fitness to Practise status. 

Shortlisting:
Eligible candidates are assessed in their first preference deanery using the national shortlisting framework in order to determine a rank.

Interviews:
In almost all cases eligible ST1 candidates will be interviewed in their first preference deanery. However, in the event that the number of applications extends beyond the maximum interviewing capacity of a deanery, shortlisting rank will be used to place that candidate in their next available deanery for interview (wherever possible candidates will be placed in their second preference deanery, all eligible candidates will get an interview).

Following interview:

Appointable candidates will be ranked and made offers accordingly in the deanery interviewing them.

If a candidate is found to be appointable at interview, but didn't rank highly enough to get an offer they will progress to national clearing

Applicants will make a single application to their first preference deanery, with the opportunity to select up to an additional three for consideration in the clearing process.

Important: It is not possible to guarantee interviews at ST2-ST4. Candidates will be assessed for eligibility and a ratio of approximately three candidates to one post will be used to determine interview spaces. 

3. The UK Offers System

The UK health departments have been working with trainee doctors and other stakeholders to put in place an offers process allowing applicants to receive all their training offers electronically.  The process for making offers for specialty training posts will co-ordinate all first offers across all specialties so that applicants can accept, reject or hold an offer.

Accessing the UK Offers System

This year all deaneries and specialties will be using the UK Offers System and will make all training programme offers through this system. If you apply for a training post you may be sent a link to log in to the UK Offers System within 14 days of the national closing date for applications asking you to log in, verify your identity and check your contact (email) details. You will need to do this within 14 days of receiving the email. Make sure that you confirm an email address that you will have regular access to, as all offers will be made through the e-mail address you give.

If you have forgotten your password for the UK Offers System, you can ask for a password reminder through the UK Offers homepage.

Selecting Preferences (deanery or specific programmes within a deanery)

During the application process, you will be asked to specify your preferences. Depending on the specialty you have applied to, a preference may mean a deanery or it may refer to specific programmes available at a deanery that you preferenced in your initial application.

You will have the facility, via your applicant home page, to view a table showing the different preferences that are available to you. Full instructions on how to select and confirm preferences will be available on the preference page.

Your preferences along with your final rank are used to determine which offer, if any, you receive. If you are deemed to be appointable after interview, then you may be made an offer of your highest available preference.  The higher you are ranked at interview, the more likely you are to be offered your preference, although all offers are subject to eligibility and post availability. 

If you are not prepared to accept an offer of training in a certain deanery, then you should not rank it.

By ranking a preference (deanery or specific programmes within a deanery), you are stating that you would be prepared to undertake a training programme in that area, if none of your other preferences are available to you. It is important that you think carefully about this choice when applying for posts. Interview panels will not have access to your preferences.

Please read the programme descriptions carefully, paying close attention to the deanery in which the post is actually located as this may not be within the deanery that manages the recruitment to the post.

Receiving an Offer on the UK Offers System

If you receive an offer through the UK Offers System, you will be able to accept, reject or hold the offer until a set date. This date will be clearly identified if you receive an offer. You will have 48 hours from the time your offer is made, including weekends and bank holidays, to decide whether to accept, reject or hold it. By responding, you accept certain conditions.

IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND TO YOUR OFFER WITHIN 48 HOURS, WE WILL INTERPRET THIS AS MEANING YOU HAVE REJECTED THE OFFER AND IT WILL BE OFFERED TO ANOTHER APPLICANT.

However, if you intend to reject an offer, please do so as soon as possible as this will allow the offer to be made to another applicant. If you were not offered a post in the initial release of offers, this does not mean you will not be offered one later on, as offers are recycled if other applicants reject them.

Upgrading

If you receive an offer through the UK Offers System you will automatically receive upgrades if you accept or hold an offer AND opt in for upgrades.  This means that should a higher ranked preference become available in a Unit of Application (Deanery) where you have held or accepted an offer, you will be automatically upgraded to this offer with no option to revert to your original offer.

You can opt out of upgrades at any point and this option is on your candidate home screen. If you chose to accept or hold your offer with upgrades, then you will be directed to an additional page, which shows you all your higher preferences. You will be able to edit your higher preferences at this point by opting out of ones you are no longer interested in.

Upgrading will continue until 14 March 2013 for CT/ST1 core and run-through training posts (providing posts are still available).  

MMC FAQs for UK Offers (PDF, 43KB, 3 pages)

For further information on the UK offers system visit the MMC website

4. Post numbers and interview dates

We are still in the process of collating this information for the 2013 round. This information can be found on the ST 2013 Deanery information page. This page will be  updated thoughpout the process so you are advised to check it regularly.

2013 advert(PDF, 253 KB, 3 pages)

 5. Person specifications

Before applying for an ST post you are advised to ensure you meet the the requirements outlined in the appropriate person specification.

ST1 Person Specification (PDF, 32 KB, 3 pages)
ST2 Person Specification( PDF, 32 KB, 3 pages)
ST3 Person Specification(PDF, 32 KB, 3 pages)
ST4 Person Specification(PDF, 32 KB, 3 pages)

6. Application form

You must complete your paediatric application online. Apllicants can find out more about completing the application in the Application Form Guidance document. You will not be able to access the online application form until 12 noon GMT, Monday 12th November 2012.

Application Form Guidance(PDF, 153 KB, 9 pages)

7. Guidance for Applicants

 When making your application we recommend you consulat the following for further information on the process

Guidance for Applicants(PDF, 97 KB, 9 pages)

Shortlisting guidance(PDF, 57KB, 9 pages)

Interview Guidance(PDF 51 KB, 5 pages)

PLEASE NOTE: The immigration advice pertaining to the Shortage Occupation List as it appears in the Guidance for Applicants is currently under review. With effect from 6th April 2013 Paediatric ST4 posts have been removed from the Shortage Occupation List.
 

Preparing your portfolio: If you do not have a portfolio (e.g. Foundaiton Programme/Paediatric ePortfolio) you may find the below documents useful when collating the evidence needed for that section of the interview.

Case-Based discussions

Clinical Experience Evaluation Excercise

Directly Observed Procedural Skills

Further guidance on completion of these forms

Please note: These guides are subject to change. You are advised to check you are using the most recent version.

8. Foundation Competences

In order to be eligible to enter specilaty training you must demonstrate that you have/will have Foundation Competences or equivalent by August 2013. Please read the guidance below for further information.

Foundation competences guidance notes(PDF, 54KB, 2 pages)

Completion of form if not in a UK Foundation Programme (PDF, 128 KB, 2 pages)

Certficate A(PDF, 113 KB, 6 pages)

Certificate B(PDF, 113 KB, 6 pages)

Research Certificate(PDF, 113KB, 6 pages)

9. Deferred entry

Further to the Gold Guide 2010, deferred entry may only be considered for statutory reasons (e.g. maternity, ill health). If you are unsure whether you qualify for deferred entry please contact the recrutiment and careers team.

10. Immigration

In April 2012 the UK Border Agency closed the Tier 1 (Post Study Work) immigration route. This route was previously used by non-UK and non-EEA doctors who had graduated from a UK medical or dental school and had successfully completed their foundation programme.

In light of this, all candidates must consider the following information.
 
Please be aware that RLMT does not apply to the following applicants, who are therefore eligible to apply and receive offers in Round 1 and Round 2 if:

1. They are a UK or EEA national
2. They are a non-UK or non-EEA national and their immigration status allows them to work without restriction in the UK.  For example if they have Tier 1 or dependant status, and no restriction against working as a doctor or dentist in training.
3. They are already on Tier 2 and will be applying to continue training with the same sponsor.
4. They are applying for a speciality in a shortage occupation (currently only ST3-6 level trainees in Scotland).
5. They are a non-UK or non-EEA national, they graduated from a UK medical or dental school, they currently have Tier 4 status, which entitles them to work in the Foundation Programme. They will need to apply for Tier 2 sponsorship, but they will be exempt from the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) if they have had continuous immigration status in the UK since you graduated.
6. They are currently on Tier 1 (Post Study Work) and will be switching into Tier 2 in order to take up a post.  

IMPORTANT: ST4 posts in paediatrics have been removed from the Shortage Occupation List with efect from 6th April 2013. As such this has impacted on our ability to conduct ST4 clearing. Applicants affected by this will be contacted directly by RCPCH as appropriate.

 Applicants are are eligible to apply for core and specialty training in round 2 if:

1. They are already on Tier 2 and will be applying for a different specialty and changing sponsor. They will require Tier 2 sponsorship and will be subject to the RLMT.
2. They are a non-UK or non-EEA national who has limited leave to remain in the UK and do not fall into one of the above categories.  They will require Tier 2 sponsorship and will be subject to the RLMT.    

Those who are subject to the RLMT may only be considered if there is no suitable UK or EEA national candidate for the post. Unlike in round 1, the RLMT can be satisfied in round 2.

In sum, this means that if you are subject to the RLMT, you cannot be offered a post in recruitment round 1 (i.e. the round opening in November 2012), and should delay your application until round 2, in early 2013.
 
Evidence of immigration status should normally consist of a biometric residence card, date stamped passport, and accompanying letter from the Home Office. Please visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk for more information
 

11. Frequently Asked Questions

We hope that the guidance documents available on this page answer all of your queries. You may also find the FAQ page helpful.

12. Broad Based Training Programme

Further information on the Broad Based Training programme. 

13. Academic Clinical Fellows

Academic Clinical Fellow (ACF) posts are recruited locally, via deaneries. The recruitment process for these posts in centrally coordinated via NIHR.

For 2013 the following deaneries are offering ACF posts in Paediatrics: East Midlands North, East Midlands South, East of England, London, Mersey, Northern, North Western, Oxford, Peninsula, Severn, Yorkshire and Humber and Wessex.

ACF timeline

Application period: 15 October 2012 to 12 November 2012
Shortlisting/interview window: 13 November 2012 to 11 January  2013
Offers commence: 14 January 2013
Offer window closes: 1 February 2013

Further information on posts available and interview dates can be found via the relevant deanery website.

Making an ACF application.

 14. LAT vacancies - Scotland

This year Scotland will be advertising LAT vacancies. On the application site these posts are labelled FTSTA posts, Please be assured that by selecting this option you will be selecting a LAT vacancin Scotland.

Locum Appointments for Training  (LATs)

These are deanery approved posts appointed to fill gaps in speciality training programmes.  Posts do not carry a training number but carry educational accreditation and can count towards a CCT if subsequently appointed to an approved specialty programme of training. LAT appointments can also count towards a CESR application.  Appointees will be allocated a clinical and educational supervisor and will agree an educational plan to enable achievement of competencies relevant to the level appointed to.  See Gold Guide Section 5.37 for further information.  

15. Contacts

For any questions:

Email: recruitment and careers team
Phone: 020 7092 6142